Braga beats Sevilla to advance

Braga beats Sevilla to advance

Published Aug. 24, 2010 9:53 p.m. ET

Rodrigo Lima's hat trick led Portuguese club Braga to a 4-3 win over Sevilla to qualify for the Champions League for the first time by a 5-3 aggregate score on Tuesday.

Matheus slid under goalkeeper Andres Palop in the 31st minute to put the visitors ahead before starting a move that finished with Lima sidefooting past Palop in the 58th to leave the Spanish club reeling.

Luis Fabiano answered for Sevilla in the 60th from a glaring miss by goalkeeper Felipe, and Jesus Navas drew the Andalucian side even in the 84th.

But Lima sealed the win with goals in the 85th and 90th before Frederic Kanoute scored the last for Sevilla, which lost to Portuguese opposition at Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium for the first time.

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While a flurry of goals marked the finish, Braga was the better team throughout as it took advantage of its few chances while Sevilla failed to seize its own.

Braga, runner-up to Portuguese champion Benfica last season, had already eliminated Celtic from the competition.

"We played two great games and last year we had a great season in Portugal," Braga coach Domingos Paciencia said. "Braga was superior."

A lapse of concentration saw Paulo Cesar burst through Sevilla's half to unleash a powerful long-range shot that Palop couldn't hold on to and Matheus was left unmarked to score his second of the series.

Matheus had also threatened in the 14th but saw his chance cleared in a first half dominated by Sevilla, whose strikers Luis Fabiano and Kanoute had a number of headed chances miss or be saved.

Lima replaced Aguiar in the 56th and was well-placed as Braga struck again on the counterattack for 2-0.

Luis Fabiano gave Sevilla hope after Felipe misjudged the Brazil striker's low shot, and Navas drew Sevilla even after shooting over Felipe.

But Lima responded immediately after beating Palop to a long ball outside the area, and completed Braga's historic night with a short-angled drive that beat Palop inside the near post.

"You have to accept the loss," said Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido, who said coach Antonio Alvarez's job was safe. "At least there's the Europa League, which is the competition that has been Sevilla's over the past few years."

Sevilla won back-to-back UEFA Cups in 2006-'07.

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